Democratic Republic of Congo

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the work his Department is undertaking in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Hilary Benn: pursuant to the reply, 24 May 2006, Official Report, c. 1780-81W
	The figure given for DFID's spend in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2001-02 was £7 million. This should have read £5.6 million, mostly on humanitarian interventions.
	An estimate was made for DFID's expenditure in 2005-06. This was premature, however, as DFID's 2005-06 out-turn figures have yet to be confirmed but are expected to be finalised by the end of August 2006.
	DFID funds available for the DRC this financial year were given as £63 million. The correct amount is £62 million.
	I apologise for these errors in the original answer.

HIV/AIDS

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effect on treatment of HIV/AIDS in African countries of the departure of qualified doctors and nurses from the developing world for employment in the developed world.

Gareth Thomas: DFID supported analysis of the human resources for health crisis in Africa for the High Level Forum for Health in November 2005. The migration of skilled health workers from poorer African countries to developed countries in Europe, the United States and elsewhere has a significant impact on the capacity of African national health services to deliver HIV and AIDS treatment, prevention and care. However, migration to other more developed African countries and internal migration from rural to urban areas are also important factors. Health worker shortages are exacerbated by AIDS-related mortality among the health work force. The result is an overburdened health work force and weak health systems with inadequate capacity to deliver services.
	DFID is working at country level to address human resources capacity and support Governments to implement policies on retention, skill mix and deployment. For example, DFID is supporting the health sector in Malawi—one of the most severely affected countries, with £100 million over five years. About £55 million of this is earmarked for the Emergency Human Resources Programme of the Malawi Government. This programme is aiming to increase recruitment and retention of staff by raising health worker salaries by 50 per cent., providing housing and improving training. This is expected to double the number of nurses and triple the number of doctors in training—while using international volunteers to fill gaps in the meantime. DFID is also funding country HIV and AIDS programmes to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS on the health workers.
	DFID is also working closely with the Department of Health (DH) to address "pull" incentives, preventing the targeting of developing countries in the international recruitment of health care professionals within the NHS through the Code of Practice for International Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals.

Catering Supplies

David Drew: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what environmental and social sustainability criteria are applied when purchasing food for the House dining room.

Nick Harvey: Last year, the House of Commons Commission approved and adopted an outline strategic plan covering the five years from 2006 until 2011. This plan explicitly states that the House administration must match current public service standards, including in the area of environmental protection. Food procurement tenders include consideration of bidders' environmental and ethical policies and procedures, but the precise evaluation criteria applied differ according to the nature of foods being supplied.

Animal Welfare

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average period was between  (a) the state veterinary service and  (b) his Department receiving urgent animal welfare complaints and the making of a visit to the premises being complained about in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Any complaints received by the Department are immediately passed to the state veterinary service (SVS). The SVS aims to respond within 24 hours of receiving a complaint. The figures for April 2005 to March 2006 show an average response time was 0.5 days.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure adequate numbers of veterinary surgeons are available to test herds for bovine TB.

Ben Bradshaw: We recognise the importance of ensuring sufficient resources are available to carry out bovine TB testing. My officials closely monitor the situation and meet regularly with the veterinary profession.
	Last year the Government introduced legislation under the Veterinary Surgeons Act to enable technical staff in the State Veterinary Service to carry out TB tests. A pilot study into lay TB testing is due to conclude shortly. We will consult the veterinary profession and other interested parties on the results and any proposals to extend lay testing.

End-of-Life Vehicles

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps the Environment Agency has taken to implement the end-of-life vehicle legislation;
	(2)  how many operators have been prosecuted due to failure to apply for a site licence for storing and treating end-of-life vehicles.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has transposed the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive (2000/53/EC) through the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/2635) and the End-of-Life Vehicles (Producer Responsibility) Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/263). DEFRA has responsibility for Part VII of the 2003 Regulations, on the keeping and treatment of waste motor vehicles, and these provisions are enforced by the Environment Agency (EA) in England and Wales.
	All facilities treating undepolluted end-of-life vehicles are required to have a permit, a condition of which is that the site in question must meet the minimum technical standards set down in Schedule 5 to the Regulations.
	There are currently around 1,100 'Authorised Treatment Facilities' for ELVs. The EA has worked closely with DEFRA, DTI and the vehicle dismantling sector to produce practical treatment guidance. Sites that hold the necessary site licence are inspected by the EA to ensure that they meet required standards. The EA also investigates sites thought to be handling vehicles illegally.
	In 2004, the EA took forward 15 prosecutions for offences involving the keeping or treatment of ELVs. The figure for 2005 was 30. There have been 13 in the first five months of 2006. These are cases where ELVs were the main, or a significant proportion of, the waste being handled illegally.

End-of-Life Vehicles

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list the operators in North Devon who have been issued with a licence for storing and treating end-of-life vehicles.

Ben Bradshaw: The operators in North Devon who have been issued with a licence for storing and treating end-of-life vehicles are listed in the following table.
	
		
			  Company name (licence holder)  Address 
			 Mr. R. Penfold, South Molton Metals Pathfields Business Park, Quicks Close, Hacche Lane, South Molton, Devon 
			 Esau's Vehicle Dismantlers, Mr. A. J. Esau and Mr. P. L. Cridge Adjavin Lane, Clovelly Road, Bideford, Devon 
			 Oxy Ltd., Stoneybridge Vehicle Dismantlers Stoneybridge, Knowle, Braunton, Devon 
			 James Sherlock BMW Motorcycles 3 Cooks Cross Industrial Estate, South Molton, Devon 
			 Mr. A. C. Poulton, Deepmoor Deepmoor, St. Giles in the Wood, Torrington, Devon 
			 Mr. G. Holmes and Mr. P. Holmes No 2 Yard, Patchacott Cross, Patchacott, Seaworthy, Devon 
			 Gilead Foundation Charity Risdon Farm, Jacobstowe, Okehampton, Devon 
			 Mr. Stephen W. Bolt and Mr. Michael Pilivant 3 Oaklands Drive, Okehampton, Devon 
			 Mr. C. E. K. Patience 29 Yelland Road, Fremington, Barnstaple, Devon 
			 Bedminster Estates Limited Seven Brethren Industrial Estate, Barnstaple, Devon 
			 Mr. H. and Mrs. E Penfold Sunnyside, Station Road, South Molton, Devon 
		
	
	In order to treat end-of-life vehicles, licensed sites also need to meet the requirements of the End-of-Life Vehicle Regulations 2003. To do this they need to have the necessary infrastructure in place to be an authorised treatment facility (ATF). The Environment Agency inspects and approves such facilities under these Regulations. At present only those sites listed below are both licensed and authorised to treat end-of-life vehicles.
	
		
			  Company name (licence holder)  Address 
			 Mr. R. Penfold t/a South Molton Metals Quicks Close, Hacche Lane, South Molton, Devon 
			 Esau's vehicle dismantlers Clovelly Road, Bideford, Devon 
			 Oxy Ltd. t/a Stoneybridge Vehicle Dismantlers Stoneybridge, Knowle, Braunton, Devon 
			 James Sherlock BMW Motorcycles 3 Cooks Cross Industrial Estate, South Molton, Devon 
		
	
	There are a number of sites in North Devon that are registered as exempt from the requirement to have a waste management licence under paragraph 45 of the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 (as amended). This exemption allows for the storage of dry ferrous and non-ferrous metals and storage of depolluted end-of-life vehicles. It does not allow for the storage and treatment of undepolluted vehicles for which a licence would be required.

Recycling

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will amend local authority league tables on recycling to give greater weight to waste minimisation.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 12 June 2006
	Local authorities are assessed against a number of indicators on household waste which include the percentage sent for recycling or composting and the total weight collected per head. The Audit Commission publishes information on local authority performance against these indicators each year. This is available from the Audit Commission website:
	http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/performance/dataprovision.asp
	Currently, there is no local authority statutory performance standard for waste minimisation. However, as part of the review of England's Waste Strategy, Defra is looking at what levels and what forms of targets and indicators will, in the longer-term, be the most efficient at continuing the recent improvements we have seen in waste performance. The review will take into account existing policies designed to make waste management more sustainable, and consider how best to present information on local authority waste performance, consistent with sustainable waste management objectives.

Supermarkets

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department will give evidence to the forthcoming Competition Commission inquiry into the impact of supermarkets on market towns and out-of-town superstores in rural areas.

Barry Gardiner: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 18 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1129.
	My noble Friend, the Minister for Sustainable Farming and Food (Lord Rooker) has since written to the Competition Commission to highlight a number of areas which the Commission may wish to consider as part of its investigation. In doing so, he confirmed that the Department is willing to provide the Commission with any assistance or information it may request. A copy has been placed in the House Library and on DEFRA's website.

Waste Management

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of increased incineration of waste on the environment.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra published the independent Review of the Environmental and Health Effects of Waste Management, in 2004, which was peer reviewed by the Royal Society. The review concluded that, based on the evidence from studies so far, the treatment of municipal solid waste—including by incineration—has, at most, a minor impact on human health and the environment. Defra has also recently published a study, "Impact of Energy from Waste and Recycling Policy on UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions", in support of a review of the Government's waste strategy. This is available on the Defra website:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/strategy/pdf/ermreport.pdf
	9 per cent. of waste is currently incinerated in England, but an increase is likely to be needed to be able to meet landfill directive targets, despite big improvements in waste recycling and minimisation. Recovering energy from waste through incineration produces much fewer greenhouse gas emissions than landfilling. Deriving energy from biodegradable waste also helps to offset fossil fuel generation.
	The Environment Agency ensures that emissions and other outputs from waste management facilities are within the limits set by the EU and the UK Government to minimise any negative impact. Incinerators are also required to conform to tighter emission standards than other types of combustion plants.

Whaling

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of whales killed for scientific research in each year since the international moratorium on commercial whaling was introduced, broken down by species.

Ben Bradshaw: Up to 2005 the number of whales taken each year, by species and by country for scientific whaling (since the moratorium was introduced in 1986) are shown in the following table as reported to the International Whaling Commission.
	
		
			   Country  Species taken  Number 
			 1986 Iceland Fin 76 
			   Sei 40 
			  Rep. of Korea Minke 69 
			 
			 1987 Iceland Fin 80 
			   Sei 20 
			 
			 1987-08 Japan Minke 273 
			 
			 1988 Iceland Fin 68 
			   Sei 10 
			  Norway Minke 29 
			 
			 1988-09 Japan Mi (inc. 5 dwarf) 241 
			 
			 1989 Iceland Fin 68 
			  Norway Minke 17 
			  Japan Minke (inc. 3 dwarf and 1 lost) 330 
			 
			 1990 Norway Minke 5 
			 
			 1990-01 Japan Minke (inc. 4 dwarf) 327 
			 1991-02 Japan Minke 288 
			 
			 1992 Norway Mi (inc. 3 lost) 95 
			 
			 1992-03 Japan Mi (inc. 3 dwarf) 330 
			 
			 1993 Norway Minke 69 
			 
			 1993-04 Japan Minke 330 
			 
			 1994 Norway Minke 74 
			  Japan Minke 21 
			 
			 1994-05 Japan Minke 330 
			 
			 1995 Japan Minke 100 
			 
			 1995-06 Japan Minke 440 
			 
			 1996 Japan Minke 77 
			 
			 1996-07 Japan Minke 440 
			 
			 1997 Japan Minke 100 
			 
			 1997-08 Japan Minke 438 
			 
			 1998 Japan Minke 100 
			 
			 1998-09 Japan Minke 389 
			 
			 1999 Japan Minke 100 
			 
			 1999-2000 Japan Minke 439 
			 
			 2000 Japan Minke 40 
			   Bryde's 43 
			   Sperm 5 
			 
			 2000-01 Japan Minke 440 
			 
			 2001 Japan Minke 100 
			   Bryde's 50 
			   Sperm 8 
			   Sei (in error) 1 
			 
			 2001-02 Japan Minke 440 
			 
			 2002 Japan Minke 102 
			   Bryde's 50 
			   Sei 40 
			   Sperm 5 
			   Minke 50 
			 
			 2002-03 Japan Minke (inc. 1 lost) 441 
			 
			 2003 Iceland Minke (inc. 1 lost) 37 
			  Japan Minke (inc. 1 lost) 101 
			   Bryde's 50 
			   Sei 50 
			   Sperm 10 
			   Minke 50 
			 
			 2003-04 Japan Minke (inc. 3 lost) 443 
			 
			 2004 Iceland Minke 25 
			  Japan Minke 100 
			   Bryde's (inc. 1 lost) 51 
			   Sei 100 
			   Sperm 3 
			   (inc. 1 lost) 60 
			 
			 2004-05 Japan Minke (inc. 1 lost) 441

Mobile Phones

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the number of mobile phones in circulation in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: The Department does not hold the information that you requested nor is it available centrally and to obtain such information would entail disproportionate cost. However, research carried out by Ofcom found that the number of mobile phone subscribers in the UK rose from almost 45 million in 2001 to more than 64 million by the end of 2005.

OFT Annual Plan

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who is responsible for progress on each of the objectives set out on pages nine to 21 of the Office of Fair Trading Annual Plan 2006-07; to whom each person reports; what recent discussions he has had about implementation of each objective; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government's response to the recommendations made by the Committee of Public Accounts in their "Nineteenth Report Tackling Cancer: improving the patient journey" (HC 790) was made in "Treasury Minutes on the Eighteenth to Twenty-first Reports from the Committee of Public Accounts 2005-06".
	The Treasury Minutes detail on-going actions and discussions in response to the recommendations made in HC 790. Sir Ian Carruthers, as the acting Permanent Secretary and Accounting Officer, is responsible for progress on the actions set out in that response.

Sayers Bakery

Robert Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what notice of redundancies he has received in respect of Sayers Bakery, Lorenzo Drive, Liverpool; what action he is taking; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Advance notification of the proposed redundancies at Sayers Confectionery Limited., Lorenzo Drive, Liverpool, has been received. The information was passed to the Manager of Norris Green Jobcentre plus, who has arranged for staff to visit the site to assist those employees who are facing redundancy. The Jobcentre plus offers access to a range f support schemes, from the new deal and the jobseekers allowance through to more focused schemes designed to help those caught up in restructuring. It provides information on job searching; compiling CVs; further education and training for individuals who need to develop new skills; benefits information; etc. The help required is agreed in discussion with the employer, and in liaison with the local Government Office and the Local Learning and Skills Council.

Pensions

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the pension liability of his Department over the next 30 years.

David Cairns: I refer the hon. Member to the technical note which was placed in the Library of the House on 2 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 388-90W, following a response at oral questions by the then Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Pension liabilities are not estimated for individual departments but for individual pension schemes, as shown in the breakdown of liabilities per pension scheme given in Table 1 of the technical note.

Housing

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what plans she has to  (a) build and  (b) supply council housing for those with serious disabilities in (i) Leeds and (ii) the West Yorkshire region;
	(2)  what plans her Department has to improve the provision of council housing for those with serious disabilities in  (a) Leeds and  (b) the West Yorkshire region.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 7 June 2006
	We have a duty to deliver housing appropriate to the needs of those with serious disabilities. Housing Associations are now the main providers of new social housing. Regional Housing Boards recommend the allocation of resources to deliver regional and sub-regional priorities identified in Regional Housing Strategies. The Housing Corporation has invested £3.3 million for 54 new supported housing units in West Yorkshire between 2004-06. For the period 2006-08, £4.2 million has been allocated to provide 95 new supported housing units in West Yorkshire.
	In addition, Leeds are delivering through the private finance initiative high-quality accommodation and support services for people with learning disabilities. In addition to specialist provision, we continue to enable people with serious disabilities to live in their own homes if they wish to do so, with the appropriate level of care. Council housing adaptations are resourced through Council's Housing Revenue Account, or from other financial resources available to the local authority. Local authority tenants are statutorily entitled to assistance under the DFG programme but the present financial arrangements preclude the ODPM ring fenced fund being used for the provision of such adaptations for LA tenants. In the private sector, each year around 30,000 applicants benefit from a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), which since 1997 has increased from £57 million to £103 million in 2005-06. Leeds allocation for 2006-07 is £1.5 million, a 37 per cent. increase. Provision for suitable accommodation will also be increased through our decision to implement the Lifetime Homes Standard through the new Code for Sustainable Homes.
	I also understand that Leeds city council is preparing a Disability Housing Strategy and a Learning Disabilities Strategy (Valuing People), which will set out the approach that the authority needs to take in future years for provision of new housing which meets the needs of the seriously disabled in our communities.

Local Government Finance

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in respect of which local authorities the Government are proposing to reduce its support for borrowing for capital expenditure; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Government support for borrowing by local authorities is issued as part of the Formula Grant Settlement. Formula Grant is unhypothecated and so capital support is not provided as a separate funding stream. The amount issued is calculated on a formulaic basis and therefore the Government do not intervene by reducing support to individual local authorities.

UK Military Airfields

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress with the review of UK military airfields; and when he expects to report the outcome.

Adam Ingram: My right hon. Friend, the then Secretary of State for Defence announced to the House in July 2004 during his statement on the White Paper on Delivering Security in a Changing World that we would be undertaking an extensive review of our future requirements for airfields. There will not be one single report on the outcome of the Defence Airfield Review as the work is being taken forward through a series of business cases assessing the best configuration, both operationally and in value for money terms, for a number of future aircraft types.
	I announced the conclusions of the studies into the basing of Joint Combat aircraft and Nimrod MRA4 aircraft to the House in my statement on 17 November 2005. I will announce the results of the remaining individual studies in due course.

Cross-border Action

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the proposed EU legal instrument for cross-border institutional arrangements.

David Hanson: The EU Commission has proposed a legal instrument, European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC), to allow public bodies from different member states to create or join an EGTC with the objective of facilitating and promoting cross border, transnational and interregional co-operation in order to strengthen economic and social cohesion. No new powers are confirmed on public bodies by joining an EGTC and member states can withhold their approval of an EGTC if it considers it to be contrary to the public policy of the member state.
	Other corporate and European structures can also facilitate such co-operation and the EGTC instrument would offer one more option for cross border cooperation to those arrangements that already exist. This may have operational benefits and can be welcomed. The institutions created under the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and the North South Cooperation (Implementation Bodies) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 already facilitate work across the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The current Ireland/Northern Ireland PEACE and INTERREG IIIA programmes are managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and these structures have performed well.

Knife Amnesty

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many items have been surrendered to date in each district council area in Northern Ireland since the commencement of the knife amnesty.

David Hanson: The police have estimated that at 31 May, a total of 320 items were surrendered since the commencement of the knife amnesty and put on show on Wednesday 7 June, a number of the items deposited. A definitive count will be made shortly after the amnesty finishes and information will be available in the week commencing 19 June.

Road Maintenance

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Department for Regional Development spent on structural maintenance for the road network in counties  (a) Tyrone,  (b) Derry and  (c) Fermanagh in each of the last five years; and how much the Department has budgeted for structural maintenance in (i) the current year and (ii) the next two years in these counties.

David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	 Letter from Malcolm McKibbin, dated 13 June 2006:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about how much the Department for Regional Development spent on structural maintenance for the road network in counties (a) Tyrone, (b) Deny and (c) Fermanagh in each of the past five years; and how much the Department has budgeted for structural maintenance in (i) the current year and (ii) the next two years in these counties. I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service.
	Firstly I should advise that whilst Roads Service does not maintain details of expenditure on a county basis, such information is available on a district council basis. The table below details Roads Service's expenditure, for the five-year period 2000/01 to 2004/05, on structural maintenance for the nine district councils whose boundaries straddle Counties Tyrone, Londonderry and Fermanagh. Expenditure details for 2005/06 year are not yet available.
	
		
			  Roads Service expenditure on structural maintenance by council area 
			  £ million 
			  District council  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 Omagh 2.5 3.6 4.0 4.9 4.0 
			 Strabane 2.3 2.7 2.9 3.4 3.9 
			 Cookstown 1.3 1.5 1.8 2.5 2.2 
			 Dungannon 2.7 3.1 3.5 5.4 4.0 
			 Derry 2.1 2.2 2.4 3.2 2.7 
			 Magherafelt 1.2 1.5 1.9 2.7 2.2 
			 Coleraine 1.7 2.1 2.3 3.4 2.4 
			 Limavady 1.0 1.2 1.6 2.6 2.1 
			 Fermanagh 2.9 3.1 4.3 5.5 4.6 
		
	
	In providing this information, I should explain that Roads Service does not simply apportion its total structural maintenance expenditure equally across district council areas. Resources available for each maintenance activity (e.g. resurfacing, patching, gully emptying, grass cutting etc) are apportioned to district council areas using appropriate indicators of need. This ensures, so far as possible, an equitable distribution of funds across the country.
	With regard to structural maintenance expenditure in the current year and the next two years, I can advise that Roads Service's structural maintenance budgets are not allocated at the outset of the financial year on a district council basis. Therefore, it is not possible to give an initial budget allocation for 2006/07 for structural maintenance in each district council area as requested. However, expenditure this year, coupled with the Revised Budget allocations, suggests that approximately £170m will be invested in roads' structural maintenance across Northern Ireland in the three years to 2007/08.

Roads

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Department for Regional Development Roads Service will outline the options for the route of the proposed dual carriageway between Londonderry and Dungiven.

David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	 Letter from Malcolm McKibbin, dated 13 June 2006:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question regarding when the Department for Regional Development Roads Service will outline the options for the route of the proposed dual carriageway between Londonderry and Dungiven.
	As this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
	When the Secretary of State announced that this £250m (estimated cost) scheme to provide a dual carriageway between Londonderry and Dungiven had been added to the Forward Planning Schedule, he indicated that it was expected to be completed in the latter part of the 10 year period to 2015.
	A study is underway to identify the preferred corridor for the route. This involves preliminary studies of environmental, land form and traffic modelling, particularly at the Londonderry end of the route. It is well advanced and will report later this summer. Although it is not normal practice to make announcements at this stage in a scheme development, it is anticipated that a public exhibition and consultation will be undertaken as the next step in the more detailed development of the Londonderry to Dungiven scheme.
	The next stage will be the development and assessment of possible road line options within the corridor identified in the current study. This will take several years and it is not anticipated that any announcement of a preferred line for the Londonderry to Dungiven dual carriageway will issue for some time.
	It is worth reminding ourselves that this 30km scheme is the largest undertaken by Roads Service and will undoubtedly take several years in development.

Career Advice

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps she is taking to improve career advice for girls.

Meg Munn: holding answer 12 June 2006
	The "Youth Matters: Next Steps" document, published on 8 March 2006, sets out proposals for improved information, advice and guidance for young people. It recognises the importance of access to individually-tailored information, advice and guidance that challenges rather than perpetuates traditional stereotypes.
	Central to improved information, advice and guidance will be the development of quality standards. The challenging of traditional stereotypes will be included in these standards. The Equal Opportunities Commission is represented on the Steering Group that is supporting the development of the standards.

Management Positions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps she is taking to encourage firms to consider women for senior management positions.

Meg Munn: holding answer 12 June 2006
	Encouraging firms to consider more women for senior management positions is something that the Government take very seriously. The Government support initiatives such as the FTSE 100 cross company mentoring scheme?'Women Directors on Boards', which is backed by 29 Chairmen and CEOs.
	Vertical segregation and the 'glass ceiling' is something that the Women and Work Commission identified as a cause of the gender pay gap. The Government will issue an Action Plan in response to the Commission's recommendations later in the year. Companies from a range of sectors have committed to develop and deliver programmes that support the Work and Work Commission's recommendations including initiatives, which support women into senior management positions.

Inheritance Tax

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the net yield from inheritance tax in each year since 1996-97; and what the forecast for 2006-07 is;
	(2)  if he will estimate the revenue collected from  (a) stamp duty on property,  (b) inheritance tax and  (c) council tax in each year since 1996-97; and what his estimate is for (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08.

Dawn Primarolo: Receipts of stamp duty on land and property are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Receipts of stamp duty on land and property 
			   £ billion 
			 1996-97 1.1 
			 1997-98 1.5 
			 1998-99 2.1 
			 1999-2000 3.2 
			 2000-01 3.7 
			 2001-02 4.1 
			 2002-03 5.0 
			 2003-04 5.0 
			 2004-05 6.3 
		
	
	The figures quoted in the table for the period 1999-2000 to 2004-05 are published in table 15.1 on the HMRC website: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/stamp_duty/15_1_sep05.pdf
	Figures for future years will depend on estimates of property sales, both residential and commercial.
	Receipts of inheritance tax are published in table T1.2 on the HMRC website: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts/1_2_v2_dec05.pdf
	The latest estimates/forecasts for receipts of inheritance tax are set out in table C8 in chapter C of the 2006 Financial Statement and Budget Report on the website: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/20F/42/bud06_chc_247.pdf
	Council tax receipts net of council tax benefit are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Net receipts of council tax (2004-05 prices) 
			   £ million 
			 1996-97 10,683 
			 1997-98 11,237 
			 1998-99 12,137 
			 1999-2000 12,911 
			 2000-01 13,760 
			 2001-02 14,456 
			 2002-03 15,337 
			 2003-04 16,938 
			 2004-05 17,592 
			 2005-06 17,978 
			 2006-07 18,231 
		
	
	Forecasts for these taxes are only published for years up to 2006-07, the last year covered in the Budget report.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those occasions when the recommendations of a report from the Parliamentary Ombudsman have been  (a) rejected and  (b) partly rejected by his Department since 1997.

John Healey: HM Treasury is not aware of any occasion since 1997 in which they have rejected or partially rejected recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman in relation to HM Treasury's activities. However, HM Treasury does not hold definitive statistics of this nature. HM Treasury cannot provide this information without first identifying and then reviewing all HM Treasury files relating to every Parliamentary Ombudsman investigation since 1997. This exercise would incur disproportionate cost.

Small Breweries Relief

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will amend the criteria governing the eligibility of breweries for Small Breweries' Relief to encompass independent breweries producing between 60,000 and 100,000 hectolitres of beer per annum.

John Healey: Since SBR was introduced in June 2002 more than 100 new breweries have opened, creating over 1,000 new jobs and injecting energy and innovation into a traditional industry.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that SBR is targeted to benefit those who need it most. Although all relief's are kept under review, the Government believe that SBR is currently striking the right balance, and meeting its objectives.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the total cost of the £25,000 tax credits overpayments income disregard; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member on 13 December 2005,  Official Report, column 1836W.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made in lowering the average emissions per vehicle.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend, the former Secretary of State for Transport, to the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander) on 2 May 2006,  Official Report, column 829.

Burma

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to the Government of Burma regarding humanitarian problems caused by the Burmese Army for the Karen, Karenni and Shan people.

Ian McCartney: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 16 May 2006,  Official Report, column 893W and the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe, Mr. Hoon, gave the hon. Member for Clwyd, West (Mr. David Jones) on 23 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 1626W-27W.

Commonwealth Youth Sunday

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what countries Commonwealth Youth Sunday is observed.

Ian McCartney: I am unaware of "Commonwealth Youth Sunday". National Youth Days are celebrated at different times of the year across the Commonwealth.

EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether  (a) she and  (b) diplomatic and consular staff plan to meet (i) Polisario and (ii) the Moroccan authorities to discuss the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no plans to discuss the EU/Morocco Fisheries Agreement with either the Polisario Front or the Moroccan authorities. However, on my recent visit to Morocco on 6 June, I discussed this issue with the Moroccan Deputy Foreign Minister. Officials have also discussed the agreement with representatives of both the Moroccan Government and members of the Polisario Front.
	The UK's position on the issue is clear. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Ben Bradshaw, to the hon. Member for Portsmouth South (Mr Mike Hancock) on 2 May (Official Report, column 1315W).

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Government of Sudan regarding its attitude towards peace measures and human rights in Sudan.

Ian McCartney: My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, saw the Sudanese Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs on 7 June, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development also spoke to him. We welcomed the signature by the Government of Sudan of the Darfur Peace Agreement, and stressed the need for this to be implemented rapidly. On the government's side early action on disarmament of the Janjaweed was key. We have condemned the grave abuses of human rights in Darfur and will continue to do so. There must be no impunity for those who have committed these crimes and those responsible must be brought to justice.

Trade-related Intellectual Property Rights

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will take steps to ensure that the EU does not negotiate bilateral deals which oblige countries to adopt intellectual property standards or timetables which go beyond trade-related intellectual property rights.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 12 June 2006
	The UK position on intellectual property rights in bilateral and regional agreements was published in the Government response to the report of the Commission on Intellectual Property Rights following recommendation 77 of the Commission under chapter 8—The International Architecture. This is available at the following website: http://www.iprcommission.org/graphic/uk_government_response.htm.
	The Government state clearly that bilateral and other agreements should not, as a matter of course, oblige countries to adopt intellectual property standards or timetables that go beyond the requirements of the World Trade Organisation Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement. They also makes the further commitment that
	"For our part, we will seek to ensure that EU agreements with developing countries avoid imposing obligations beyond TRIPS".
	I can confirm that UK negotiators are routinely briefed regarding this commitment.
	The TRIPS Agreement, however, sets minimum standards and not a maximum level of intellectual property protection. It is therefore within a government's sovereign right to enhance their intellectual property protection if they judge it to be in their country's interest, including as part of an overall package of trade issues which make up a bilateral trade agreement.

Uganda

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written statement by the Secretary of State for International Development of 23 May 2006,  Official Report, column 81WS, on her visit to Uganda, what steps she is taking to ensure the Secretary General's recommendations to the Security Council of the United Nations are submitted without further delay; and if she will call for a UN Special Envoy, a UN Panel of Experts and action to improve the protection of civilians throughout Northern Uganda.

Ian McCartney: UN Security Council Resolution 1663 of 24 March 2006 requested the UN Secretary General to make recommendations to the Council on how to address more effectively the problem of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). On 26 April 2006, the Assistant Secretary General at the Department of Political Affairs briefed the Security Council on the threat posed by the LRA and made a number of recommendations, including that:
	a Panel of Experts be established to investigate the financial backing for the LRA;
	the Government of Uganda be encouraged to accept the appointment of a senior envoy for the LRA;
	the Government of Uganda set out a strategy for dealing with the root causes of the conflict through dialogue so that internally displaced peoples could return home.
	In the Security Council discussion which followed the UK welcomed these proposals. We are urging the Secretariat at all levels to deliver a detailed written report as soon as possible, as the basis for taking these proposals forward.
	The UK is encouraging the Ugandan Government to accept the appointment of a Special Envoy. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development raised this with President Museveni on 16 May when they discussed the role a Special Envoy could play in achieving greater regional co-operation on the LRA issue.
	Improving the protection of civilians is a crucial issue and on 4 May the Government of Uganda launched the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) to oversee the protection of civilians, the conditions of internally displaced persons planning for the return of the displaced to their homes and peace building including the return and reintegration of combatants and reconciliation.
	This JMC represents an important step forward. It involves greater public recognition by the Government of Uganda of the scale of the problem and it creates an opportunity for constructive dialogue and joint planning. The JMC is currently developing an action plan to take this work forward and our High Commission in Kampala and the Department for International Development Uganda are both closely involved in this.

Whaling

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Norwegian Foreign Minister on  (a) Norway's expansion of its commercial whaling programme and  (b) Norway's support for Japan's attempts to gain a simple majority at the International Whaling Commission; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The UK's opposition to Norway's commercial whaling programme has been consistent and strong. In April 2006, the UK led a demarche against Norway's announcement of a record increase in the number of North Atlantic minke whales they plan to catch this year. We will continue to fight vigorously at the International Whaling Commission to oppose whaling activities. The focus of the recent meeting between my right Hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and her Norwegian counterpart was Iran and the Middle East. Whaling was not discussed.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer the letter to his predecessor dated 27 February from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Ms E. Lennon.

John Reid: Your letter, addressed to my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, was received by the Home Office on 22 March. My hon. Friend, the hon. Member for Leigh (Andy Burnham) replied on 27 March.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Muslim Council of Britain on Holocaust Memorial Day; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Secretary of State for the Home Department last met representatives of the Muslim Council of Britain on the 3 May 2006. There is no formal record of the meeting. However, whenever the issue of Holocaust Memorial Day has been raised, the Home Secretary has stressed that the Government take a broad and inclusive approach towards the content and community outreach of the commemoration. Lessons about the need to confront all forms of racism and hatred, including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia; have been a consistent theme of Holocaust Memorial Day. The Government regret that the Muslim Council of Britain does not support Holocaust Memorial Day and we hope that in the near future they will reconsider their stance.

Medicinal Imports

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to allow pharmaceutical manufacturers of opiate-based analgesic medicines to import their raw materials from overseas manufacturers; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: In common with other major opiate manufacturing countries, the United Kingdom does not permit importation of such base material drugs domestically manufactured and readily available. This policy is in furtherance of the aims of the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 to limit international supply to what is necessary for countries' medical needs. It is adjusted to take account of treaty obligations on overseas trade with the European Union and the European Economic Association only.

Police

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil service staff hours have been spent on duties related to police reorganisation since 16 September 2005; and what estimate he has made of the number of staff hours which will be spent on this issue in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007.

Tony McNulty: Six Home Office officials have been working on police restructuring since Charles Clarke, the then Home Secretary launched the review in September 2005. The implementation team currently includes eleven Home Office officials (full-time equivalents). No estimate has been made of the number of staff hours which will be spent on this issue in 2006 and 2007.

Probation Officers

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time probation officers were employed in the area covered by the Greater London magistrates courts in each of the last six years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 12 June 2006
	Information is not available for the full period requested. Data collected prior to 1 April 2003 is unreliable, and is not directly comparable with the more accurate figures collected since that time. In addition, due to the manual process employed in the collection of data for quarter one 2003-04 it is not possible to breakdown the data requested by area. The figures presented in the table show full time equivalent (FTE) figures at the close of each quarter from 1 July 2003 to 31 March 2006.
	
		
			  London  Probation Officers( 1) 
			  2003-04  
			 Quarter 2 795.70 
			 Quarter 3 840.50 
			 Quarter 4 862.50 
			   
			 2004-05  
			 Quarter 1 864.80 
			 Quarter 2 874.60 
			 Quarter 3 835.41 
			 Quarter 4 834.54 
			   
			 2005-06  
			 Quarter 1 820.07 
			 Quarter 2 829.74 
			 Quarter 3 821.44 
			 Quarter 4(2) 824.80 
			 (1) The 'probation officers' category includes the senior probation officer, senior practitioner, and probation officer job groups. Trainee probation officers have been excluded from these figures.  (2 )From Quarter 4 2005-06 the workforce data collected will be structured according to the new offender management model. These latest figures are as yet unpublished and are currently being validated. As a result of this they may be subject to change.

Registration Marks Regulations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) males and  (b) females have been (i) prosecuted and (ii) convicted of an offence under the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 in (A) Southend, (B) Essex, (C) Hertfordshire, (D) the Metropolitan Police area of London and (E) England and Wales in each year since 2002, broken down by age group.

Tony McNulty: A breach of the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks R 2001 amounts to an offence under s.59(1) of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994. However, this offence forms part of a group of miscellaneous motoring offences in the data held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. It is not possible to separate these offences from others within the group and therefore no separate data can be provided.

Departmental Jobs (Regional Distribution)

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of jobs in  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body, (ii) executive agency and (iii) other public body for which his Department is responsible are located in (A) Scotland, (B) England, excluding Greater London, (C) Greater London, (D) Wales and (E) Northern Ireland.

Anne McGuire: Table D of Civil Service Statistics covers permanent staff numbers (full-time equivalent) in each Department and agency. Information on The Health and Safety Executive, part of the Department since June 2002, is available in the same publication.
	Civil Service Statistics are available in the Library and at the following address on the Cabinet Office website: http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_of_the_civil service/statistics/civil service_statistics/index.asp
	Information on the number of civil servants in other public bodies for which the Department has responsibility is included in the information in Civil Service Statistics but is not separately identified. The number and location of these staff are as follows:
	
		
			  Statutory body  London  West Midlands  North East  Total 
			 Independent Review Service — 93 — 93 
			 Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority — — 40 40 
			 Office of the Pensions Ombudsman 33 — — 33 
			 Social Security Advisory Committee 3 — — 3 
			 Total 36 93 40 169 
			  Note:  Staffing figures are full-time equivalent permanent staff as at April 2004, the same date as the available information on the Cabinet Office website.

Work-based Learning (Surrey)

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in  (a) Surrey,  (b) Guildford and  (c) Waverley have (i) participated in and (ii) completed each of the three Work Based Learning for Adults Scheme stages in each year since 1997.

Jim Murphy: Work Based learning for Adults was launched in 1998, replacing Training for Work. In April 2001, the delivery of Work Based Learning for Adults was transferred from Training and Enterprise Councils in England to the former Employment Service, to ensure greater coherence between the support available to unemployed people, and to make Work Based Learning for Adults even more work-focused.
	Information on the numbers of starters and leavers for the various strands of Work Based Learning for Adults in Surrey, Guildford and Waverley is available from April 2001 and is shown in the following table.
	From April 2006, voluntary training outside the new deals will no longer be supported. Training in the new deal programmes, including voluntary training, will continue to be funded; this includes new deal for lone parents and new deal for partners programme.
	We are also working closely with DfES and the Leaning and Skills Council to see how they can give greater access to basic skills training for people not participating in the new deal programmes.
	
		
			  Surrey local authority county 
			   Basic employability training  Longer occupational training  Short job focused training  Self employment 
			  Starts 
			 2001 (from April) 50 140 170 150 
			 2002 40 200 80 480 
			 2003 90 170 50 740 
			 2004 130 210 50 810 
			 2005 120 140 50 790 
			 2006 (to February) 20 — — 20 
			  
			  Leavers 
			 2001 (from April) 30 80 150 120 
			 2002 60 200 100 450 
			 2003 80 200 40 700 
			 2004 110 180 50 790 
			 2005 120 190 60 780 
			 2006 (to February) 20 — — 40 
			 Notes:1. Figures are rounded to nearest 10.2. Date on programme completers is not available, data on programme leavers, which includes people who did not complete the programme, is shown in the tables.3. Jobcentre Plus became responsible for the delivery of Work Based Learning for Adults from April 2001.Source:DWP, Information Division Work Based Learning for Adults Evaluation database. 
		
	
	
		
			  Guildford local authority district 
			   Basic employability training  Longer occupational training  Short job focused training  Self employment 
			  Starts 
			 2001 (from April) — 30 20 20 
			 2002 10 40 10 70 
			 2003 20 30 — 110 
			 2004 20 20 — 180 
			 2005 10 20 — 160 
			 2006 (to February) — — — — 
			  
			  Leavers 
			 2001 (from April) 10 20 20 10 
			 2002 10 40 10 70 
			 2003 — 40 10 110 
			 2004 10 20 — 170 
			 2005 10 20 — 160 
			 2006 (to February) — — — 10 
			 Notes:1. Figures are rounded to nearest 10.2. Date on programme completers is not available, data on programme leavers, which includes people who did not complete the programme, is shown in the tables.3. Jobcentre Plus became responsible for the delivery of Work Based Learning for Adults from April 2001.Source:DWP, Information Division Work Based Learning for Adults Evaluation database. 
		
	
	
		
			  Waverley local authority district 
			   Basic employability training  Longer occupational training  Short job focused training  Self employment 
			  Starts 
			 2001 (from April) 10 20 20 30 
			 2002 — 30 10 50 
			 2003 — 20 10 90 
			 2004 10 10 — 80 
			 2005 — 10 — 100 
			 2006 (to February) — — — — 
			  
			  Leavers 
			 2001 (from April) 10 10 20 30 
			 2002 10 30 10 40 
			 2003 — 20 10 80 
			 2004 — 10 — 90 
			 2005 — 10 — 100 
			 2006 (to February) — — — — 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to nearest 10.  2. Date on programme completers is not available, data on programme leavers, which includes people who did not complete the programme, is shown in the tables.  3. Jobcentre Plus became responsible for the delivery of Work Based Learning for Adults from April 2001.   Source:  DWP, Information Division Work Based Learning for Adults Evaluation database.

Abortions

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS of carrying out abortions  (a) in the UK and  (b) in Gloucestershire was in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: The available information is set out in the following tables.
	The cost to the national health service of carrying out abortions in England is shown in table one. For NHS providers data for the period prior to 1997-98 is not held centrally. For non-NHS providers, data for the period prior to 2002-03 is not held centrally. This data does not include personal medical services pilots.
	Table two shows the cost to the NHS of carrying out abortions in NHS providers in Gloucestershire. Data is not collected on a geographical basis and the data provided covers the following organisations:
	Cotswold and Vale Primary Care Trust (PCT);
	Cheltenham and Tewkesbury PCT;
	West Gloucestershire PCT; and
	Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
	Equivalent data prior to 2002-03 is not available due to organisation reconfiguration.
	No data was submitted for non-NHS providers by these organisations.
	
		
			  Table 1: National schedule of reference costs—Cost of termination of pregnancy 
			  £ 
			   NHS providers  Non-NHS providers 
			 1997-98 20,472,084 n/a 
			 1998-99 28,097,500 n/a 
			 1999-2000 29,308,577 n/a 
			 2000-01 30,990,216 n/a 
			 2001-02 33,425,262 n/a 
			 2002-03 36,349,538 4,762,972 
			 2003-04 36,759,034 8,740,792 
			 2004-05 39,264,951 10,693,466 
			  Notes:1. NHS providers data based on returns from NHS trusts, foundation trusts and PCTs in England.2. Non-NHS providers data based on returns from NHS trusts, foundation trusts and PCTs in England for activity they contract out to / directly commission from non-NHS providers.3. For non-NHS providers collections prior to 2003, this information was not collected separately. It would have been reported in part in the NHS trust own data return.4. Data also relates to activity carried out for admitted patients (does not include outpatients) and excludes excess bed days.5. We do not distinguish between trimesters in the above, therefore the above will be an average of all.6. Figures include market forces factor (MFF). Sources: NHS providers:National schedule of reference costs 1998.Appendix 4 of National schedule of reference costs 1999 to 2005. Non-NHS providers:Appendix 5 of National schedule of reference costs 2003 to 2005. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: NHS providers in Gloucestershire: cost of termination of pregnancy 
			   Total cost (£) 
			 2002-03 541,418 
			 2003-04 506,792 
			 2004-05 281,861 
			  Notes:1. Data based on returns from appropriate NHS trusts and PCTs, including Cotswold and Vale PCT, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury PCT, West Gloucestershire PCT and Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.2. Data also relates to activity carried out for admitted patients (does not include outpatients), and excludes excess bed days.3. We do not distinguish between trimesters in the above, therefore the above will be an average of all.4. Figures include MFF. Sources:NHS providers: National schedule of reference costs 1998 to 2005.

Child Sexual Abuse

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what therapeutic services her Department provides for children who have suffered sexual abuse;
	(2)  what assessment her Department has made of  (a) the psychological effects of child sexual abuse and  (b) effective treatments for such effects;
	(3)  what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children who have experienced sexual abuse receive the therapeutic services they require.

Ivan Lewis: Specialist services including treatment for sexually transmitted infections, termination of pregnancy and mental health services are available for those children who need them as a result of sexual abuse. For children with less severe mental health problems, it is more appropriate for universal services to provide the psychological support they need than for them to be referred to specialist child and adolescent mental health services.
	The Department and the Mental Health Foundation jointly funded a multi-centre study to evaluate the use of psychotherapy with girls aged six to 14 years who had been sexually abused. Two of the main findings were that high rates of depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder were found and both group and individual psychotherapy were effective and improvement in the patients condition tended to continue after treatment had ended.
	It is important that children and maternity health services (CAMHS) are developed in a way that is responsive to the needs of the populations they serve. The CAMHS standard of the children's national service framework (NSF) set out the requirement for an assessment of the needs of particular groups of children in the locality who are vulnerable or at risk. The NSF also states the commissioners and services should be able to
	"demonstrate multi-agency partnership working in the following areas: the provision of services to children and young people who may or may not have been harmed, as set out in 'Working Together to Safeguard Children', contributing to the assessment of complex child abuse cases; the assessment and provision of post-abuse therapeutic services; and services for looked after and adopted children".

Dentistry

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 206W, on dentistry, why the Department has stopped collecting information relating to the number of dentists accepting new patients in Chesterfield since 4 April 2005.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has not collected data on the number of dentists accepting new patients. The Department has in the past asked primary care trusts (PCTs) to provide information to the nhs.uk (web resource) and NHS Direct on which dentists are accepting new patients. The main problem with this data is that it can change at a rapid pace and therefore may not be reliable, thus making it limited in its practical use. That is why the Department has given PCTs more flexibility in deciding how they most effectively inform the local public about access to dental services. The implementation review group, which includes patient representatives, dentists and national health service organisations, has been set up to monitor the NHS dental reforms; as part of this they will be assessing the level of information that is on the website.

NHS Data

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what duty is placed on primary care trusts to ensure that data submitted to the website www.nhs.uk regarding  (a) dentists accepting NHS patients and  (b) other information is kept up to date; how often this data is updated; and whether NHS Direct actively monitors this data to ensure its accuracy.

Rosie Winterton: It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to decide how most effectively to provide information to the public and to agree any local arrangements with nhs.uk and NHS Direct.
	NHS Direct holds some information on the open and closed status of dental practices but the accuracy of the information is dependent on dentists notifying PCTs of any changes, and PCTs updating the information on nhs.uk.
	As a result of feedback from user groups, and following the introduction of the local commissioning of national health service dentistry in April 2006, the information held by nhs.uk (and by extension NHS Direct, as they use the same database) is currently being updated by PCT web editors. Additional information, including best possible information on how patients can get routine, urgent in-hours and urgent out-of-hours care or advice is being added by PCTs to the new format site. The expected date for these changes to go live on nhs.uk is the last week of June 2006.

NHS Direct

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how NHS Direct as an NHS Foundation Trust would be accountable to local communities;
	(2)  whether NHS Direct as an NHS Foundation Trust would remain subject to ministerial control;
	(3)  whether NHS Direct as an NHS Foundation Trust would be able to outsource its call centres abroad.

Rosie Winterton: We are developing plans for NHS Direct to become a national health service trust from April 2007 with the aim of becoming an NHS Foundation Trust (NHSFT) thereafter. NHS Direct is in the very early stages of considering their application for foundation trust status, including appropriate ways to ensure they can demonstrate that they are accountable to local communities, as other foundation trusts have done.
	Legislative provisions establish NHSFTs as independent public benefit corporations, free from Secretary of State powers of direction.
	As a NHSFT, NHS Direct will continue to plan delivery of its services in the most effective way. There are no plans to transfer its services abroad.